One social media post turned Mudgee mum Kate Rowe from dance teacher to one of Australia’s best known home organisation enthusiasts.
Always a lover of beautiful interiors, Rowe set up an Instagram account five years ago showcasing her own stunning home.
But it wasn’t until she posted how she manages to keep her home looking so spotless, that her posts really began resonating.
Despite working four days a week, Rowe spends around two to four hours a day tidying, cleaning and organising her home.
Her weekly cleaning schedule, which has helped her draw a following of more than 46,000, sees her deep cleaning her oven every Wednesday, and emptying and wiping out her fridge every Friday.
The twice-daily component of her schedule includes chores such as wiping her kitchen bench, emptying and loading the dishwasher, taking her rubbish out, doing the laundry, cleaning the sink, folding the washing and giving her bathrooms a wipe over.
But while it is not necessary to be as meticulous with your cleaning schedule as Rowe, keeping your residence tidy is important when you live in strata accommodation.
While at times a schedule can prove overwhelming, it may help you stay on top of high use spaces where dirt, dust, sand and mess can soon pile up.
Fantastic Cleaners, which operate professional cleaning crews in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, says Rowe has it about right when it comes to what strata residents should include in their daily and weekly schedule.
The team also suggest those living in apartments, units and townhouses should also consider a monthly schedule that includes tasks such as steam cleaning your carpets, replacing air filters, squeegeeing your windows, cleaning remote controls and washing the kitchen cabinets inside and out.
Cleaning tasks that should be completed once or twice a year include jobs such as cleaning the pantry where expired or unused items should be discarded, pest control, wiping over ceiling fans and cleaning the grease from your exhaust hood.
When looking to get the most out of a cleaning schedule it’s worth considering the following:
- Clean bed, clean head
Turn down your bed neatly each day to air, keep your sofa neat with plumped cushions and folded throws and ensure your home office is free of clutter. These jobs only take a few minutes, yet help to create an orderly feel. By getting into a healthy routine, you are free to concentrate on the areas that really require your attention. - Keep your cleaning supplies handy
It is worth storing your cleaning supplies in the room you use them most – with the exception of your bedroom of course. This is because the easier access you have to your cleaning products, the more likely you are to use them, allowing you to take care of spills and spots as soon as they appear. - Always clean from top to bottom
It makes sense to start from the top and work your way down to the bottom when cleaning any surface. This is to prevent the dust and debris falling down on your freshly cleaned floor. Start from the top of your highest shelves, then clean benches, desks and tables, leaving the floor until the very the end. - Prioritise and combine chores
When time is against you and you only have a small amount of time to clean, it’s best to prioritise. When vacuuming the living room floor, don’t just stop there. Vacuum all rooms. Same goes for dusting surfaces. It make take extra time initially, but it’ll be easier not to have to take out the vacuum cleaner every day, saving you time in the long run.
- It’s okay not to be perfect
Give yourself permission to have days when there is a pile of dirty clothes in the laundry or the dirty dishes are still in the sink from the night before. Finding time to relax with loved ones after a long day of work is more beneficial for you physically and emotionally and, in the grand scheme of things, leaving cleaning chores an extra day is unlikely to make a huge difference.
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